Weekend Fun

Ignoring the fact that it is almost nine in the evening of a Sunday, it is a weekend with some nice memories. Nothing spectacular but enjoyed the simplicity and memorability of the days.

Friday evening was notable for the chicken roll we had. The guy charges fifty bucks for one roll, but does he stuff it with chicken or what! It is so awesome!. Spending time with my wife in the kitchen for Saturday lunch, was indeed so much fun. The nutrela curry was consumed with a lot of AAhhss! and Ooohhss! Watched "Bajate Raho" in the evening today. Nice movie. Traffic was terrible at the entrance of Ambience and DLF Promonode malls. It took us almost 30 minutes to get our car into the parking from the mall approach! To top it off, we had dinner at our pet restaurant, Golden Dragon. We got hakka noodles packed for mom and dad.

Now getting ready to watch one episode of Seinfeld from Season 8 with my wife, and then off to sleep. Tomorrow is Monday and I am all charged up to tackle the problem of GUI for provisioning the ODUTTP facilities on the eMOTR cards! 

Dil Mein Ab Dard-e-Muhabbat Ke Siwa

ए खुदा मुझसे  न ले मेरे गुनाहों का हिसाब,

मेरे पास अश्क़ - ए - नदामत के  सिवा  कुछ भी नहीं।

O God, do not make me account for my sins,

I have nothing else but tears of regret (to pay for them).

This Sahir Bhopali "ghazal" has been on my mind all through the day. This is originally sung by Lata Ji, in the epic album "Sajda". And now we have a version of this by JS, in "The Master And His Magic". 

This ghazal is composed at a very high scale (by JS standards) and I never expected JS to match the scale (as in "Sajda") in the one rendered in "TMAHM". But what a rendition it is! Absolutely precious! JS could spring so many surprises in his concerts. At some places where he drags the "radeef" together with the "qafiyaa" (as in "केसिवाकुछभीनहीं"), it sounds so beautiful. The violin played by Deepak Pandit is mesmerizing too.

To end, a few more from the ghazal:

दिल में अब दर्द-ए -मुहब्बत  के सिवा कुछ भी नहीं,

ज़िन्दगी मेरी इबादत के सिवा कुछ भी नहीं।

मैं तेरी बार गह-ए -नाज़ में क्या  पेश करूं,

मेरी झोली में मुहब्बत के सिवा कुछ भी नहीं।

A 15 syllable "ghazal", in the "beher": "ramal musamman makhbuun mahzuuf" [Pattern: 2122-1122-1122-(11)22].

The Master and His Magic - Aahon mein hai asar

The "Aaho"s of thousands of JS fans definitely has had a huge "Asar".  Sanjay Tayal shared some  rare unreleased performances of the master with Chitra Ji. Chitra Ji promptly agreed to getting them released as an album, on 10th October this year. ("The Master and His Magic", Jagjit Singh, Sony Music, India)

There was the usual and the un-usual excitement in the vast community of the master's fan, with regards to the album. Usual excitement regarding the launch, the tracks, the concerts in which they were performed, the poets and so on. What was unusual was no one seemed to miss the master! It is as if he is with us all the time. As is mentioned in the accompanying booklet in the album, one year has passed, but somehow the fans seem to be consciously unaware of the master's absence.

The tracks are wonderfully sung. The poetry selection is masterful too! Waseem Barelvi's "Tu Ambar ki Aankh" is mind blowing in poetry. I will have more on the tracks in a later post. There are 9 tracks, including "Dil mein ab dard-e-muhabbat ke siwa". Without any disrespect to Lata Ji, one can say that JS always infused life into a composition of his own when he sang it.

Finally the "catchy" ghazal of the album,

आहों में है असर मगर  फ़र्क़ असर असर में है,
चैन से सो रहे हैं वो, दर्द यहाँ जिगर में है.

दिल को मेरे ले गया उसकी तलाश क्या करूँ,
जिसने चुराया दिल मेरा वो तो मेरी नज़र में है.

वो ही है रात वस्ल की वो ही है रात हिज्र की,
आए ही गी सहर मगर फ़र्क़ सहर सहर में है.

मस्ती तेरे शराब की जैसे हो मय गुलाब की,
साँसों में ऐसी ख़ुशबू है जैसे हिना अतर में है.

On Smashits, Low Quality

The poet is unknown. Beher of the 16 syllable ghazal is:  rajaz musamman matvii makhbuun [Pattern: 2112-1212-2112-1212] - [muf-ta-i-lun][ma-faa-i-lun][muf-ta-i-lun][ma-faa-i-lun]

This is of course following the same beher same tune rule, as in "Aapko bhol jaayen hum" and "Os pade bahar par" but the tempo is much faster in this one.

Aahon mein hai asar magar

I did not weep or cry about an year ago, when JS passed away. No, I knew his music is so powerful that his physical absence would not have mattered to me much. One year has since passed, and there seems to be no such void.

Chitra Ji's gracious gift to the entire fan community of the master is an effort to applaud. I have the same excitement level, as I had during those days, when maestros' album would be released and I would wait for it to be available on stores. Even a small bit of information, a small clip, would excite me and think about how the ghazal or the nazm would turn out to be.

I am having the same feeling today. The tracks are wonderful!!!

More analysis later on.

New Stuff

Sometimes it is good to change for the sake of change. I completed that phase today, and at least everything around me looks new, for now!

आँखें नई हो तो हर मंज़र अच्छा लगता है  --- निदा फ़ाज़ली

Apart from this, a topic that picked up in our cab today. Do all the sinners live in Delhi? God punishes this city with the worst possible weather conditions. Severe heat, most torrential rains flooding and jamming the city with couple of hours of rain and then the most foggiest winters. It seems the city is punished due to all the  "sins" committed by its people.

Today evening just when the offices were closing there was torrential rain. Every road seemed to have blocked and the drains choked. I had to wait for 10 minutes to be able to get into my house as water had logged around my house!

Let us brace for tomorrow.

Kabhi Kabhi - Sahir Ludhianvi

This post is about one of his masterpiece nazm:


Kabhii kabhii mere dil me.n Khayaal aataa hai...


Ke zindagii terii zulfo.n kii narm chhaao.n me.n, 
guzarane paatii to shaadaab ho bhii sakatii thii..
Ye tiirgii jo merii ziist kaa muqaddar hai,
terii nazar kii shuaao.n me.n kho bhii sakatii thii..

Ajab na thaa ke mai.n begaanaa-e-alam ho kar,
tere jamaal kii raanaaiiyo.n me.n kho rahataa..
Teraa gudaaz badan terii niim-baar aankhe.n,
inhii.n hasiin fasaano.n me maaho rahataa..

Pukaaratii.n mujhe jab talKhiyaa.n zamaane kii,
tere labo.n se halaawat ke ghuu.nT pii letaa..
Hayaat chiikhatii phiratii barahanaa-sar,
aur main ghanerii zulfo.n ke saaye me.n chhup ke jii leta..

Magar ye ho na sakaa aur ab ye aalam hai,
ke tuu nahii.n, teraa Gam, terii justajuu bhii nahii.n
guzar rahii hai kuchh is tarah zindahii jaise,
ise kisii ke sahaare kii aarazuu bhii nahii.n..

Zamaane bhar ke dukho.n ko lagaa chukaa huu.n gale,
guzar rahaa huu.n kuchh a.njaanii guzar_gaaho.n se..
Muhiib saaye merii simt ba.Date aate hai.n,
hayaat-o-maut ke pur_haul Khaarazaaro.n se..

Na koii jaadaa na manzil na roshanii kaa suraaG, bhaTak rahii hai Khaalaao.n me.n zindagii merii..
Iinhii.n Khalaao.n me.n rah jaauu.Ngaa kabhii khokar, mai.n jaantaa huun merii ham-nafas magar yuun hii

Kabhii kabhii mere dil me.n Khayaal aataa hai..


Youtube also has an audio recitation by Sahir himself and it is a masterpiece too. This  nazm reflects such a deep pain in the heart of the poet for his lost love. Such a theme is so apt for Urdu poetry and the language lets one flow into such a trance.
Analytically, each line is of 14 syllables, with the pattern 1212-1122-1212-22. This beher in Urdu prosody is called "mujtas musamman makhbuun mahzuuf maqtuu".

Which "Yug" is this?

This question has been on mind for a very long time. I have searched the internet for possible clues and literature on this. I am quite certain we are in "Kali Yug".

For instance check out "features" of "Kali Yug" as listed in Wikipedia:
Quote:

In relation to rulers

• Rulers will become unreasonable: they will levy taxes unfairly.
• Rulers will no longer see it as their duty to promote spirituality, or to protect their subjects: they will become a danger to the world.
• People will start migrating, seeking countries where wheat and barley form the staple food source.
• "At the end of Kali-yuga, when there exist no topics on the subject of God, even at the residences of so-called saints and respectable gentlemen of the three higher varnas [castes] and when nothing is known of the techniques of sacrifice, even by word, at that time the Lord will appear as the supreme chastiser." (Srimad-Bhagavatam (2.7.38))

[edit]In human relationships

• Avarice and wrath will be common. Humans will openly display animosity towards each other. Ignorance of dharma will occur.
• People will have thoughts of murder with no justification and will see nothing wrong in that.
• Lust will be viewed as socially acceptable and sexual intercourse will be seen as the central requirement of life.
• Sin will increase exponentially, whilst virtue will fade and cease to flourish.
• People will take vows and break them soon after.
• People will become addicted to intoxicating drinks and drugs.
• Gurus will no longer be respected and their students will attempt to injure them. Their teachings will be insulted, and followers of Kama will wrest control of the mind from all human beings

Unquote.

Now one may argue, that is how the world has been always. But I think it was not like that. If we look upon the age of "Ramayan" it depicts a much cleaner picture (Ok, what went through Sita is a different debate). Mahabharat is said to have happened at the cross-roads of entering the "Kali Yug" and that is evident amply in the epic.

The next question is when is this "Yug" going to come to an end? There are still people who pray to God, believe in God and do good things in their life.  Do we have to wait for all this to end, before "Kalki" makes an appearance?